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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: court · craft · field · ball · plane · stick · perch · stand

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  12. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  13. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  23. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. craft — boats
  4. court — for sport
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. craft — a skill
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. field — farmland
  10. field — for sport
  11. field — a subject
  12. perch — the fish
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. court — of law
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. court — of a king
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. plane — in geometry
  23. plane — a tool
  24. stand — to bear

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com